Ilia Topuria has spoken out after losing his UFC lightweight title and unbeaten record to Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.
Topuria’s corner stopped the fight at the end of Round 4 due to the damage he absorbed. The bout was nearly halted a round earlier when Topuria said he could not see, but it continued after a vision check.
After the defeat, Topuria revealed he lost sight in both eyes during the fight, though he did not specify the extent. “Justin, congratulations,” he said, before expanding on what happened in the cage. “You said you’d leave your mark on my face… and you did. You took the sight from my right eye in the first round, and by the end of the second, from my left too. No excuses. I had one of the best camps of my life. I came in sharp, prepared, and ready. Last night was your night. That’s the nature of this game. Glory and pain walk side by side. I’ll heal. I’ll rest. And I’ll return stronger, wiser, and far more dangerous. And trust me… this story between us is far from over. We will have our rematch.”
Gaethje entered UFC Freedom 250 as the interim UFC lightweight champion after winning the interim belt in January. Topuria had previously been unable to defend his title due to a then-ongoing divorce and came into the event off consecutive knockout wins over Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira.
